SAN BERNARDINO – A Jan. 15 letter from the State Bar reveals that authorities have decided not to take any action against City Attorney James F. Penman related to allegations of professional misconduct.

“I finally did get exonerated,” Penman said.

The complaint, Penman said, stemmed from the 2005 mayoral campaign when then-Mayor Judith Valles accused Penman of using his post for political purposes. The Sun received an anonymous copy of the complaint in February 2006, days before the runoff election won by Pat Morris.

Penman said the complaint cost the city nearly $14,000 to provide for his legal defense.

Valles could not be reached for comment.

A spokeswoman for the State Bar said she could not legally comment on the investigation or the letter.

Andrew Edwards is part of the Southern California News Group's business team and focuses on housing stories for the Inland Empire. He's based at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and has also worked for publications including the Long Beach Press-Telegram and The San Bernardino Sun. He graduated from UCLA in 2003 after studying political science and history.